Tandem with low supply?

[Vegan Princess]

I've seen some old threads started on this topic but no one really answered them. I have low milk supply. I made about 1/2 of DD's needs. She is 13 mos and still nursing very frequently. We use a lactaid to supplement still. I want to get pregnant again in a few months. DD loves nursing so much and clearly is so not ready to wean. Who knows how she'll be a year from now (the earliest a baby would be due)? I'd love to be able to tandem nurse her and a newborn but I just don't know how that would work? I likely still won't make enough milk for baby #2...so the milk really needs to go to the new baby, not a 2 year old. Has anyone experienced this? Thanks!

Cindy

[doubledutch]

i haven't been in that situation, but in a way, i think it could have a positive effect on your supply. if you feed the newborn first and the toddler immediately after, once the baby has nursed all she wants, then the effect of the toddler nursing right afterwards would be stimulating greater supply. maybe? the only thing that could be tricky is setting limits on when the older child nurses, without it being obvious that she can only nurse after the baby has had her milk.

[PieKat]

I don't have experience with tandem nursing--yet. I have a 2 year old and one due in October. I had supply issues with Madi and, like you, only produced about 1/2 of what she needed and had to supplement the rest. She started losing weight in the 2nd (?) week. I used an SNS and then switched to a bottle after about a month. She's still nursing. I guess "stalk me" and we'll see what happens over the next 7 months since I'm ahead of schedule with you.

[Vegan Princess]

I will definitely try and keep tabs. I hope you have a better supply this time around! I'll be so curious how it works out for you. I am still undecided if I want to try it. Some days I really want to wean a couple months before a new baby arrives, other times I see how dependent she is and wonder how that will ever happen!

Cindy

[InMediasRes]

I think it depends on why you had a supply problem. If it was a baby issue (ie, latch, tongue tie, etc.) then I don't think it would be an issue. For me, it was a mom problem. I had PPD/anxiety and I also have an underdeveloped breast and not enough tissue. I supplemented a little bit with DS until 9 mo when he was eating really well. I got pregnant when he was 15mo old unexpectedly. I thought about tandem but just wasn't sure about it with the supply issues. I ended up not being able to make it anyway because of excruciating nipple pain. I weaned him at 19mo and DD was born when he was 23mo.

This time around with BF has been so different. DD is a totally different nurser. I didn't use any bottles and no supplements with her. My supply has been much better. I used goat's rue the first time around and this time I knew to take it when it felt like she was nursing more. I feel like I could consider tandem with another baby.

Good luck in whatever you decide.

[PieKat]

Originally Posted by InMediasRes

This time around with BF has been so different. DD is a totally different nurser. I didn't use any bottles and no supplements with her. My supply has been much better. I used goat's rue the first time around and this time I knew to take it when it felt like she was nursing more. I feel like I could consider tandem with another baby.

Good luck in whatever you decide.

This gives me hope. The insufficient breast tissue is my issue. My LC even suggested I start taking it (goat's rue) the last month of pregnancy, although I haven't looked in to the pros/cons of that.

[ElliesMomma]

hmmm... why the hurry to get pregnant again so soon? why not wait until your child is two already and then try to get pregnant?

the reason being that -- putting aside tandem nursing for the moment -- you are first going to have to get through the hurdle of *losing (most of) your milk supply while you are pregnant.* this is the most likely scenario (some moms don't lose it, but i sure did, and it was only the fact that my daughter was already 2.5 years old and could understand to just keep sucking anyway, and in any case not dependent upon my milk for her overall nutrition the way a younger baby is). MOST pregnant moms experience a real drop in supply while pregnant, and the younger your nursling is when you get pregnant, it seems to be the more likely that he or she will wean during your pregnancy. if that happens, you can forget about tandem nursing.

if you do make it through pregnancy with your nursling, i would bet that your supply will be better with the second child, as your bigger baby will help bring in a better supply with her powerful suck.

[Vegan Princess]

My supply is almost gone as it is since I just finished taking domperidone. We do use a lactaid a lot so she is getting fluids. But even when we nurse without it and she isn't getting anything she doesn't seem to care. So I doubt she'd be deterred by prego nursing.

We're not waiting bc the spacing and timing is right for us. But who knows - it could take me 6 months to get prego anyway.

Cindy